An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria

Sulaimon Olayiwola Folami; Ibrahim  Abuga; Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar; Lateefah O. Oladimeji; Moses Gbadebo ADETOYI; Abubakar Zubair LAWAL; Abiodun Sebioniga Lawal

doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

J Pharmacol Pharm Res. 2024; 1(2): 44-52

doi: 10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria

Sulaimon Olayiwola Folami, Ibrahim Abuga, Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar, Lateefah O. Oladimeji, Moses Gbadebo Adetoyi, , Abubakar Zubair Lawal, , Abiodun Sebioniga Lawal.

Abstract
BSTRACT
Introduction: The ongoing global pandemic of Covid-19 has led to a significant increase in the mortality rate of patients, despite the use of various pharmacological agents. This has sparked a rise in interest in the medicinal plants found in Nigeria's south-west (Lagos) and north-central (Ilorin), which have long traditions of using herbal remedies.
Aim: As a result, the current study set out to identify and catalogue the medicinal herbs used to treat Covid-19.
Method: To gather information on the herbal practices, medicinal plants, and personal information of herbal practitioners, questionnaires and oral interviews were conducted. The plants that were cited were collected, taxonomically identified by a botanist, and assigned voucher numbers. The plant names were further authenticated through the use of the Plant List (www.theplantlist.org) and World Flora Online (www.worldfloraonline.org).
Result: A total of 56 herbal practitioners from Ilorin and Lagos were interviewed, revealing the use of 38 distinct plant species. Among these, Petiveria alliacea was the most frequently cited, with a citation rate of 55.5%, while Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth was the least cited, at 11.1%. For treating Covid-19, practitioners utilized various plant parts, including leaves, bark, roots, and seeds, which were prepared as mixtures, decoctions, or powders, and either applied topically or ingested.
Conclusion: The study emphasizes the medicinal herbs utilized in conventional medical procedures to treat Covid-19., with Petiveria alliacea being the most frequently cited plant. This study also revealed the potential use of 15 medicinal plants for the first time as antiviral plants in treating Covid-19, which could serve as sources for the development of novel agents in the fight against the pandemic.
Keywords: Ethnobotanical, Medicinal plants, COVID-19, Northcentral Nigeria, Southwestern Nigeria and Treatment.

Key words: Keywords: Ethnobotanical, Medicinal plants, COVID-19, Northcentral Nigeria, Southwestern Nigeria and Treatment.

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How to Cite this Article

Pubmed Style

Folami SO, Abuga I, Abubakar MF, Oladimeji LO, Adetoyi MG, , Lawal AZ, , Lawal AS. An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. J Pharmacol Pharm Res. 2024; 1(2): 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

Web Style

Folami SO, Abuga I, Abubakar MF, Oladimeji LO, Adetoyi MG, , Lawal AZ, , Lawal AS. An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. https://www.wisdomgale.com/jppr/?mno=206486 [Access: June 07, 2026]. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Folami SO, Abuga I, Abubakar MF, Oladimeji LO, Adetoyi MG, , Lawal AZ, , Lawal AS. An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. J Pharmacol Pharm Res. 2024; 1(2): 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Folami SO, Abuga I, Abubakar MF, Oladimeji LO, Adetoyi MG, , Lawal AZ, , Lawal AS. An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. J Pharmacol Pharm Res. (2024), [cited June 07, 2026]; 1(2): 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

Harvard Style

Folami, S. O., Abuga, . I., Abubakar, . M. F., Oladimeji, . L. O., Adetoyi, . M. G., , ., Lawal, . A. Z., , . & Lawal, . A. S. (2024) An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. J Pharmacol Pharm Res, 1 (2), 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

Turabian Style

Folami, Sulaimon Olayiwola, Ibrahim Abuga, Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar, Lateefah O. Oladimeji, Moses Gbadebo Adetoyi, , Abubakar Zubair Lawal, , and Abiodun Sebioniga Lawal. 2024. An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. Journal of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Research, 1 (2), 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

Chicago Style

Folami, Sulaimon Olayiwola, Ibrahim Abuga, Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar, Lateefah O. Oladimeji, Moses Gbadebo Adetoyi, , Abubakar Zubair Lawal, , and Abiodun Sebioniga Lawal. "An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria." Journal of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Research 1 (2024), 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Folami, Sulaimon Olayiwola, Ibrahim Abuga, Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar, Lateefah O. Oladimeji, Moses Gbadebo Adetoyi, , Abubakar Zubair Lawal, , and Abiodun Sebioniga Lawal. "An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria." Journal of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Research 1.2 (2024), 44-52. Print. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Folami, S. O., Abuga, . I., Abubakar, . M. F., Oladimeji, . L. O., Adetoyi, . M. G., , ., Lawal, . A. Z., , . & Lawal, . A. S. (2024) An Ethnobotanical Appraisal of Medicinal plants used for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Northcentral and Southwestern Nigeria. Journal of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Research, 1 (2), 44-52. doi:10.5455/JPPR.20240620043821